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[U] Update en mandate
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之前那个 mandate 的英文版是机翻的,实在看不下去了。又想起有人拿着英文
翻译过的 mandate 来找我们,然后我一看,完全不是原文的意思。因此自己重
新翻译了一遍。如果有不清楚的地方,仍然请以中文版为准。
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sauricat committed Nov 27, 2024
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Expand Up @@ -38,17 +38,17 @@ We do trans arts and prepare for the upcoming gallery Arts Among Us.

## Our Mandate

One Among Us began as, and is most importantly, in the business of honoring the memory of those in the transgender and gender diverse (TGD) community who have passed away, and that business will not change. This means that we are a transgender service organization and transgender community built around the deceased, or more accurately, around the relationship between the living and the deceased. Both the living and the deceased should be part of our diverse and spiritual trans community. We would not be able to come together and unite as an organization that serves the living without a common memory and remembrance of the deceased. Therefore, in every activity and business we do, we should try our best to involve both the living and the dead. Despite the lines between the two sides of the River Styx (or, say, the Galaxy), we must take into account the people who are silently watching over us on the other side. Our anthem, flag, and other symbols of our organization should all serve the purpose of connecting the living and the dead.
One Among Us starts first as a memorial of our departed fellows in the transgender and gender diverse (TGD) community, which is our most important mission and shall not be changed. Therefore, we are a trans service organization and trans community based on the departed, or more accurately, on the relationship between the living and the deceased. Everyone, regardless of their living or death, shall be one among our diverse and spiritual trans community. Since we would not gather here in solidarity as an organization serving the living without the shared memory of the departed, in all of our events or services shall we try our best to make available for both the living and the departed, with our consideration of those who are silently watching over us on the other side of the Galaxy River which, though, demarcates us. Our organizational symbols, including but not limited to the anthem and flag, shall include in its purpose the connection between the living and the departed.

We know that remembrance must not be totally private and must be political in nature. However, we also know that the starting point of this public, political nature lies in the intimate connection between self and other. Therefore, we as an organization should never be too proud to take the place of the deceased in expressing political views that do not belong, that are arrogant and frivolous. But this does not mean that we should follow the principle of 'depoliticization': we believe that, in our time, to be transgender or trans-friendly is to face a life that, even if one does not expect to be thrown into all kinds of political and social strife, one is, intentionally or unintentionally, consciously or coercively, taking on more political responsibilities. Therefore, we believe that, at the very least, the promotion of social justice and fairness, and the promotion of the freedom of each individual to choose to express his or her identities, including gender, reflects the wishes of the deceased as a whole, and should not be viewed as disrespectful to the deceased, nor should it be viewed as undermining the neutrality of the memorial.
We are certain that any kind of remembrance, in its essence, is not private but political. However, we also note that its publicity, concerning the political, is generated by the intimate connection between the self and the other. Therefore, we, as an organization, shall never address frivolously our political ideas as if we were them, the deceased, with our arrogance. However, this shall not imply we should act apolitically: We hold that in our era, becoming trans or allies is to face -- even if not willing to be thrown into piles of sociopolitical disputes -- a life of heavier political responsibility, intentionally or unintentionally, voluntarily or forcedly. Hence, we believe that, at the very least, calling for equity, social justice, and each one's freedom of expression of their identities, including but not limited to gender identity, shall be considered as the collective will of the departed, and shall accordingly not be viewed as disrespect, nor should it be viewed as a failure to keep the impartiality of the memorial.

Since it is a transgender community built around the deceased, we are bound to carry with us a bitter reflection on the fragility and vulnerability of life. In the current social era, the lives of the transgender community are even more fragile due to the common hardships and dilemmas we face. We do not glorify these sufferings, but we are not ashamed to talk about our own sufferings and weaknesses, in which we watch out for each other and persevere. We stand with all individuals and their communities who have not yet gained equal rights, even though there is no single 'identity' that identifies them. We strive to promote social change for the well-being of our fellow community members, and realize that without the well-being of all humanity, there can be no individual happiness, realizing that what true happiness is is always a difficult question to answer. Even though efforts to advance social change are often lost, we hope to share and heal each other's wounds in the process, and to promote mutual gratitude and reconciliation.
Since we are a trans community built among the departed, we are bound to carry a bitter reflection on the precarity of life. Especially in our current world, trans lives are even more vulnerable due to our shared sufferings and difficulties. We do not glorify our sufferings, but we are not ashamed to speak out about our fragility and persist in looking after each other. We stand with all individuals and communities who are still suffering from inequality, including those who do not have a joint "identity" as their identifier. We strive for social change for the happiness of our community friends, with our realization that individual happiness would never be achieved before the happiness of all humankind, not to mention that true happiness is always a puzzle. Even though our efforts to promote social change often end up with loss, we hope to share and heal each other's wounds in this process with our mutually increasing gratitude and reconciliation.

We are an "East Asian and Diaspora Transgender Community": our members are either from East Asia or have always had a connection to East Asia at some point in their lives. East Asia here is not East Asia geographically, but rather East Asia as method: it is neither 'central', unable to fit into mainstream and hegemonic narratives, nor 'marginal', always desiring to materialize and standardize another value system as opposed to the mainstream. Our critical connection to East Asia lies in the fact that while we need to restrain our desire to fit into the 'center', we also need to avoid presenting ourselves as the 'periphery', mutually fulfilling with the center: we need to be constantly reflective, consciously living in a state of liminality between the 'center' and the 'periphery', and in tension with all self-evident cultures and traditions, whether they are new or old.
We are an "east asian and diaspora" trans community: Our members are either from east asia or have anyway a connection to east asia at some point in their lives. Here "east asia" is not the geographical East Asia, but rather east asia as a method: it is neither the 'central' nor the 'marginal' for its inability to fit into a mainstream and hegemonic narrative while always desiring to materialize and standardize another value system as opposed to it. Our critical connection to east asia lies in the fact that while we restrain our desire to fit into the 'center,' we shall also avoid presenting ourselves as the purely 'margin' being juxtaposed with the center. We shall keep reflective constantly to be conscious dwellers in a critical state between the 'center' and the 'margin,' a state of tension with all self-evident cultures and traditions, whether new or old.

Therefore, our organizations also need to blur the boundaries between the 'inside' and the 'outside', to recognize the intersectionality between organizational members, community partners, and service recipients, and to promote openness and inclusiveness, rather than creating a small circle that is only 'inside'. Of course, this does not mean that we tolerate any degree of violence against the community or members of the organization.
Therefore, our organization shall also keep ambiguous the boundary between 'insiders' and 'outsiders' by admitting the intersectionality between organizational members, community friends, supporters and the supported. We shall be open and inclusive rather than acting as a small circle only for 'insiders.' Presumably, it shall not be interpreted as tolerating violence against our organizational or community members.

As a not-for-profit organization, in order to better serve and meet the requirements of the place of registration for not-for-profit organizations, we must have considerable professional capacity to gain and reproduct knowledge on various aspects of community and peer support. However, we are also clearly aware that professionalization and institutionalization are not the purpose of an organization, but only a tool to maintain its existence and quality of services; and that in an era where capitalism has not yet ended, professionalization and institutionalization inevitably impede the free and comprehensive development of human beings in some ways. Therefore, we follow the principle of minimal specialization and avoid success at all costs. Professionalism must not give way to our ethics and integrity, to our collective will and expectations.
In order to meet the requirements of the regulatory authorities in our registered place and to better serve the community, as a not-for-profit organization, we should be professional and receive and produce knowledge on all aspects of community work and peer support. However, we are also clearly aware that professions and institutions are only for service maintenance and self-preservation instead of the purpose itself and have been inevitably limiting the full and free development of humankind until the end of capitalism. Therefore, we follow the principle of minimal professionalization to avoid success at all costs. Professionalization must not give way to our ethics or integrity, nor to our collective will or expectation.

<p style="text-align:right;"> — “The Mandate of One Among Us,” 2023 Dec 19</p>

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